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GEOVIA Surpac

Block Model Converter procedures

Converting a block model to a different block model format

The following procedure shows you how to convert from one file format to another.

  1. Select Block Model > Block Model > Convert / Reblock .

    2. The Block Model Converter window opens.

  2. In the Block Model Converter, on the ribbon, click Open.

    3. The Open form contains a drop-down list, in the lower right, that lists the types of block model you can open, including:

    • Surpac (.mdl) - standard, variable sub-blocked, or free format
    • GEMS (.gpr) - version 3 data stores
    • Vulcan (.bmf)
    • Datamine (.dm) - single precision, or double precision
    • CSV (.csv) - in a specific format
  3. In the drop-down list in the lower right, select the format of block model you will convert.
  4. Browse to the block model you want to convert, and click Open.
  5. Click the Reblocking Dimensions tab.
  6. In the Target Type list select the format of model you will create.
  7. On the ribbon, in the Block Models group, click Save As.

    8. The Save As form opens.

  8. In the Save as type box, make sure the type is set to the type of block model you want to convert to.

    9. You can save to .mdl, .dm, and .csv.

  9. Click Save.

    10. The converted block model is created.

    Note: When you save a DataMine model as a Surpac model without reblocking, a message is displayed informing you that you must reblock before you can save the model.

Reblocking a block model with the Block Model Converter

The following procedure shows you how to reblock a block model.

Note: If the source block model and the destination block model are both in Surpac format, use the Block Model > Simple Reblocking command (that is, the BM REBLOCK function). BM REBLOCK is much more efficient than the Block Model Converter when converting from Surpac format to Surpac format.

  1. Select Block Model > Block Model > Convert / Reblock .

    2. The Block Model Converter window opens.

  2. In the Block Model Converter, on the ribbon, click Open.

    3. The Open form contains a drop-down list, in the lower right, that lists the types of block model you can open, including:

    • Surpac (.mdl) - standard, variable sub-blocked, or free format
    • GEMS (.gpr)- version 3 data stores
    • Vulcan (.bmf)
    • Datamine (.dm) - single precision, or double precision
    • CSV (.csv) - in a specific format
  3. In the drop-down list in the lower right, select the format of block model you will convert.
  4. Browse to the block model you want to convert, and click Open.

    5. The purpose of each of the tabs in Block Model Converter is as follows:

    Tab Purpose
    Block Model Properties shows coordinates, block size, block count, and rotation of the source block model
    Block Model Attributes lists attributes, types, and default values (that is, background values) in the source block model
    Reblocking Dimensions sets dimensions and type of the reblocked block model
    Reblocking Attributes sets how the system will determine the values of attributes in the reblocked block model

  5. Click the Reblocking Dimensions tab.
  6. In the Target Type list select the format of model you will create.
  7. In the Target Block Model group, change the block size, and if you want, the lower and upper coordinates of the block model.
  8. Click the Reblocking Attributes tab.
  9. For each attribute you want to include in the reblocked block model:
    1. Select the Include box on the left.
    2. Choose the Calculation Method.

      3. The Calculation Method cell shows you how the system will calculate the value of the attribute in each block of the reblocked block model. To help you understand why this is important, consider two blocks in the source block model that are reblocked into a single block. The attribute for grade should be calculated as an average of the two blocks so you would select the Average calculation method (or one of the calculation methods beginning with the word Average) for the grade attribute. However, for the attribute that represents contained metal, you would select an Aggregate calculation method so that you can add together the values of contained metal for the two blocks. The following calculation methods are available.

      Calculation Method Purpose
      Aggregate Values are added together.
      Aggregate Ignore Negatives Aggregate except that any negative values are excluded from the calculation.
      Aggregate Replace Background Aggregate except that, before the calculation is done, all blocks that have the background value for the attribute are given the value in the Replacement Value cell.
      Aggregate Replace Negatives Aggregate except that, before the calculation is done, all blocks that have a negative value for the attribute are given the value in the Replacement Value cell.
      Average Average (that is, the mean) by volume. If an attribute is selected in the Weight By cell, the volume is weighted by the Weight By attribute. For a grade attribute, you might decide to weight by the density attribute.
      Average Ignore Negatives Average except that any negative values are excluded from the calculation
      Average Replace Background Average except that, before the calculation is done, all blocks that have the background value for the attribute are given the value in the Replacement Value cell.
      Average Replace Negatives Average except that, before the calculation is done, all blocks that have a negative value for the attribute are given the value in the Replacement Value cell.
      Highest Frequency The reblocked block is given the value that occurs most often (by volume) in the new block. For example imagine that 3 equally sized blocks have a value of A for the rocktype attribute, and a fourth block of the same size has a value of B for rocktype. If the four blocks are amalgamated during the reblocking process, the new block will have a value of A because three quarters of the volume of the block is rock type A.
      Multi-Percentage

      The attribute is a category for a multi-percentage reblock.

      Note: When you select this calculation method, you must select at least one other attribute with a calculation that is not Multi-Percentage.

    3. For any attribute that you have set to an Average calculation method, if you want to weight the volume by density or by a different attrribute, select that attribute in the Weight By cell.

    Tip: You can save the reblocking settings, including the settings for Target Block Size, Calculation Method, and Weight By, as a parameter file using the Save As button in the Reblocking Parameters section of the ribbon.

  10. Click Reblock.

    11. The Reblocking Attributes tab shows the attributes that exist in the reblocked block model, which is in memory.

  11. On the ribbon, in the Block Models group, click Save As.

    12. The Save As form opens.

  12. In the Save as type box, make sure the type is set to the type of block model you want to convert to.

    13. You can save to .mdl, .dm, and .csv.

  13. Click Save.

    14. The reblocked block model is created.

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